


Game Stops and Spanish Restaurants

by Anna_banana



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Blind Date, Fernando and Jenson are basically dads, First Dates, First Meetings, Fluff, Gaming, M/M, One Shot, Restaurants, Teenagers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-07-27 05:37:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20040802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anna_banana/pseuds/Anna_banana
Summary: Ferando is manager of a Spanish restaurant and Carlos is a waiter.Jenson owns a gaming store and Lando has just been hired.This is what happens when the couple decides to set their employees up on a blind date.





	Game Stops and Spanish Restaurants

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Quagswagging](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quagswagging/gifts).

> Just as a heads up that in this fic Lando is aged 17 and Carlos is 19.  
In case it isn't completely obvious this is a ridiculously made up AU.

Lando finds that he actually really likes his part time job at the gaming store. The other staff members are good and the manager is a great guy. Said manager, Jenson is really understating with making his shifts education flexible and the pay is not bad for a 17 year old. Jenson even lets him speak to all the customers who want football or racing games, despite the fact that the driving games are also his favourites. So all in all, an enjoyable first job.

The only possible downside to his job is that Jenson is pretty well, invested in his life for a boss. He’s always asking questions about his life and relationship status as though he was his dad or something. Which would be okay but then there is also Fernando. Almost as though the other man can read his thoughts the bell attached to the door gives a sharp ding and first thing on a Sunday morning there’s only one person it could be. 

“Jenson are you busy?” The Spaniard calls before spotting Lando.

“Oh hi Lando, how’s college?”

“It’s going alri-” Lando starts before being cut off.

“Seeing anyone yet?” Fernando interrupts and at that point Lando realises that his manager’s husband probably knows about as much detail into his personal life as his own actual parents.

“No,” he mutters in reply before practically dive bombing for the stock that he’s meant to be putting on the shelf, simply to get away from the conversation. He hears the Spaniard humm noncommittally at his back before he heads to the backroom to find Jenson.

It takes a while for the pair to return to from the back of the shop, Lando having learned from past experience not to try and get anything more from the stockroom just in case they were er busy. When Jenson and Fernando return however and the Brit waves his husband farewell neither of the two seem particularly rumpled. It’s a little bit suspicious but nothing is said to him and before long Lando is occupied by a stream of customers, a new first person shooter game having just recently been released. The business of the day is exactly why when Jenson asks him if he’s doing at all next Friday, he says no far too tired and ready to go home to be suspicious. Lando doesn’t bother looking back when he walks out the door at the end of his shift and completely misses Jenson texting sneakily while working at the till.

{}

At 19 Carlos didn’t expect he would still be working as a waiter but he really loves his job. He started working there at 16 as soon as he could get a job and Fernando agreed to take him on straight away despite his lack of experience. Now as well as waiting tables, on the quiet nights he even gets to train and help out in the kitchen which is what he really wants to do. He’s already counting down the days to his 21st where he can start working full time making food if he wants to.

The nice thing about working in an authentic Spanish restaurant in the UK is that it is a community of people and practically a second family. Fernando treats him practically like a son and his husband Jenson acts the same way when he comes to visit.

It’s generally during the week when both the restaurant and Jenon’s own business are quiet when the couple have dinner together, which is why Carlos is surprised to see them both dining together. More unusual is that they have both been placed in Carlos’ section of the restaurant which is one of the busiest, rather than their usual more secluded area. They don’t talk to Carlos as he serves them, they just give a quick smile and thanks before going back to their hushed conversation, occasionally giggling in his direction. Eventually however the rush period finally quietens down and Fernando gestures him to come over so he can finally find out what their behaviour is all about.

“What are you doing on Friday?” Jenson asks as soon as Carlos walks over to their table.

“Working?” He says, unable to stop it sounding like a question as he glances over at his boss, confused.

“Not any more. You have an extra day of holiday pay now and you are taking it on Friday.” 

“What?” Carlos replies baffled. “Can’t I take a different day?”

“No,” Jenson blurts before smiling sheepishly at him in apology.

“You have a date, here’s his number. Text him to make plans. I will find out if you don’t do it,” Fernando explains finally, handing him a piece of paper with a phone number neatly scribbled onto it. 

“Erm thanks?” Carlos replies to the pair, not feeling particularly grateful but as though it’s the right thing to say.

“You’re welcome.” Jenson says beaming as Fernando talks over him.

“You better not mess this up,” the older Spaniard says. 

Still giving Carlos a warning glare, the couple get up from their table. Fernando gives him a quick hug and Jenson pats his shoulder before they head out the door, also saying their farewells to the other restaurant workers.

By the time Carlos has finished his shift, the pair are long gone. As he leaves the restaurant, keying the number into his phone as he goes- all Carlos can think is ‘well shit, they never even told me his name.’

Carlos spends the next few hours deliberating and trying to figure out what on Earth to send as a first message. He also texts Fernando and asks him the name of the person who’s phone number he’s been given. Typically, the older man doesn’t reply. Tired and ready for his bed he decides to just stop thinking about it and send a text before going to sleep. Hopefully a reply comes back before he wakes up, meaning he doesn’t have to keep stressing about it.

{}

When Lando wakes up the first thing he does is grab his phone to switch off the alarm and most importantly, scroll through some socials. The first thing he notices however, is a text from an unknown number which was sent last night. Unsure who it could be from he opens the message and reads.

_Hi I’m Carlos. I got this no. from Fernando and Jenson. They said something about me taking you on a date Fri night? You know anything abt this?? _

Startled awake by the message, Lando drops his phone and rubs his eyes as he tries to think of a response. Thinking back to the day before at work, a lot of the things that happened begin to make a lot more sense. Groaning, he picks his phone back up and starts typing a reply.

_Hey Lando here. I wasn’t told anything about it but Fernando checked if I was single yesterday and Jenson made sure I was free on Friday. So it makes sense…  
All good tho, we can just say we went and not bother lol. _

The dreaded dots show up almost immediately to say that this Carlos is typing back and Lando just watches them in dread, unable to peel his eyes away. Before long however, a response shows up.

_You really want to try lying to them, have you ever met these guys?! Haha no thanks._

Cursing, Lando realises that the other guy is right and there is no chance they would be able to get away with it. 

_Guess we go out Friday then? _ Lando types quickly and sends before he can overthink it.

This time, when Lando tries to wait for a message the dots keep coming up every couple of minutes and then disappearing again. Unable to watch any longer, Lando decides to get up and dressed. Fortunately, by the time he gets back another message has appeared.

_ I’ll meet you at 6 at the Grosjean’s restaurant. We can see a film or smthn afterwords. _

Not knowing what else to do, Lando simply responds with a thumbs up reaction. By this point he decides he should just mute his phone and get on with his day.

{}

On the agreed day of their date, Carlos officially starts freaking out. Like, obviously he kind of was before then but now it’s full on panic mode. He begins to realise that throughout the week he and Lando haven’t messaged _at all._ Right now he has no idea what Lando actually looks like, how old he is, his interests or you know, literally anything that is ideal to know during a date. To make it even worse apparently he owns literally no clothes whatsoever. Admittedly that panic induced thought comes to him as he stares at a full wardrobe of clothes but still. Nothing seems right to wear for a date.

Eventually he simply throws on some smart casual clothes, shuts his drawers resolutely and decides to play some video games to calm himself down. It’s not until his alarm goes off, reminding him that he needs to leave that Carlos realises just how much time he’s managed to kill. Quickly, he throws on some shoes and a jacket before grabbing his car keys and wallet and heading out the door. 

{}

Lando arrives at the restaurant early having been dropped off by his parents and has to wait outside of Grosjean’s. He stands around trying not to fidget to much and scrolling mindlessly through his phone. For a few minutes he considers just going in but realises that he doesn’t even know the surname of the guy he’s seeing tonight. To be honest, he has no idea why his parents even let him go out tonight, what with him being completely unable to answer any of the questions about his date but for whatever reason his family seem to have complete trust in Jenson and have let him go out.

Pretty much bang on the hour, a car turns and heads into the parking lot. It’s a fairly dated renault clio and Lando figures it’s probably the guy he’s waiting on. When the car parks he immediately goes back to staring at his phone, deciding to wait on the other guy coming to him. From the sneak peeks he can get while still appearing to look at his mobile he would guess that Carlos is a couple of years older. What he didn’t expect however is to be going out with what is basically a younger and even hotter version of Fernando which _holy shit he’s about to start freaking out about this,_ when he hears a throat clear.

“Hey are you Lando?” The Fernando look alike asks, just as Lando was beginning to convince himself that he had to be someone else’s date.

“Um yup,” he says, immediately cringing at the nervous squeaky noise that comes out of his mouth. “You’re Carlos right?”

“That’s me,” he replies with a grin before walking to the door. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long?” He asks as he opens the door for Lando.

“No, not at all,” Lando replies trying not to swoon because if he passes out on the restaurant floor and ruins their date, frankly it would become the worst day of his life, serious karting crashes included. 

Lando just stands back and lets Carlos talk to the maître d' as he gives his surname which huh ‘Carlos Sainz’ is a pretty nice sounding name. Before they are led to their table which is in a super cliched but romantic back corner spot of the dining room. There are a few moments where conversation is stilted in which they get the important pieces of information out of the way like “Hey how old are you?” or “What do you do for a living?” which after that question, their being set up begins to make a lot more sense. 

After that conversation begins to flow a lot easier, the two young men having a lot in common such as video games, favourite films and their love of motorsport. Their meal absolutely flies by despite both being able to polish off three courses. When the bill comes the pair bicker over the payment for a while before doing the inevitable and simply splitting the bill. 

When they leave the restaurant the pair are practically dragging their feet in their reluctance to go home. Without even thinking about it Lando walks Carlos towards his car. For a moment they stand outside the Clio and just as Lando is about to say his goodbyes Carlos starts speaking.

“There are a few action movies on tonight if you fancy staying out? I could drive us there and either take you back home or you could get picked up?” 

At that suggestion, Lando can’t help but beam, especially because Carlos sounds perhaps keen? Which he desperately hopes isn’t just wishful thinking. 

“Sure that sounds good,” Lando says, still smiling and Carlos grins back. Once again Lando has the door opened for him, this time being the passenger side of the car. As they are driving to the cinema he sends a text to his parents to let them know how it’s going and ask if Carlos can drop him home later. Almost unbelievably quickly he gets a reply to say that it’s fine and he lets the Spaniard know. 

{}

Despite being the one to suggest it, Carlos can hardly remember anything about the action flick they went to see. All he remembers is the sounds of fighting, the bag of popcorn sat in between them allowing their hands to brush and the nervous moment where he let his arm curl over Lando’s back. The good thing about the darkness of the cinema is that no one could see the soppy grin on his face or the red tint to his cheeks. 

When the film credits roll and the lights turn on, Carlos and Lando both switch their phones back on as they head out of the cinema. When they see all the text messages that have come through however, they share a look with dread on their faces.

“Oh god, have you got all these two?” Lando asks him while scrolling through all the texts he’s received from Fernando and Jenson. 

“You bet I do,” Carlos replies as he looks at an almost identical set of messages on his own phone.

“We can’t ignore these can we,” Lando continues with a reluctant groan.

“Afraid not,” Carlos says with a sigh. But then he has a moment of realisation. “Luckily for me I’m driving,” he says with a grin before dashing towards his car.

“Hey!” He hears Lando shout out in protest as the younger teen rushes after him. 

By the time they get to their seats in the car they are both panting and can’t help but chuckle at each other. After a minute or two to calm down, Carlos sets off driving and lets Lando control the bluetooth to pick out some music. As they drive along they sit in a comfortable quiet which is occasionally broken up by Carlos’ out of tune singing or Lando giving directions. Deciding to get it over and done with Lando decides to send a joint text to both Jenson and Fernando.

_Thanks. Date went well, Carlos driving me home now._

Just as the responses start coming in, Carlos pulls over next to Lando’s house so he ignores the messages for now. Wanting to surprise the other teen, Lando rushes out of the car before Carlos can say anything and goes round to the driver’s side to open the door for him.

Carlos can’t help but chuckle fondly at the other’s antics as they take their time walking to Lando’s front door. 

“I had a really nice time tonight,” Carlos says as they linger outside for a little while longer.

“Me too,” Lando replies smiling softly at him.

After a moment of hesitation, Carlos leans forward slightly and kisses Lando gently on the lips. 

“Text me yes? And I’ll see you next week?” He asks, starting to walk away reluctantly. 

“Yes definitely!” Lando replies excitedly. In a moment of sudden decisiveness, Lando does a half jog to get in front of Carlos once more and gives him a quick peck on the lips in return. Carlos gives him a look of pleasant shock and before he can say anything else Lando hurries inside and closes the door behind him. When he eventually hears Carlos’ car pull away, Lando decides to check his phone once more. As he reads a message from Fernando asking him whether the pair kissed he can only think of one response.

_I’m going to go to bed now. You should probably ask Carlos any more follow up questions. Night._

When Carlos gets home and looks at the complete bombardment of messages on his phone from his boss and Jenson, he knows if Lando was anyone else he would never bother speaking to him again. Fortunately for Lando however, as Carlos recalls their date, he knows for a fact that Lando isn’t just anyone, he’s someone special.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed!


End file.
